College Heights Association Background

Where & What is College Heights?

The College Heights area of State College, Centre County, Pennsylvania is a suburban residential development associated with the beginnings of The Pennsylvania State University in 1855, and particularly with its growth and development from the 1890s to 1940s.

Bisected into East and West College Heights by North Atherton Street, today's College Heights reaches from Park Avenue north to Cherry Lane, from Holmes Street on the east to Glenn Road on the West. Within those boundaries, the College Heights Historic District is roughly bounded by Holmes Street, Park Avenue, Ridge Avenue and Sunset Road, Hillcrest Avenue, Woodland Drive and Mitchell Avenue. The area comprising College Heights originally was part of the lands occupied by Centre Furnace, the area's first ironmaking operation dating back to 1792.

An earlier College Heights Association was established in 1924 by
property owners who noted the district's beautiful setting, its
altitude, and its proximity to the college. Street names such as Sunset
Road, Fairway Road (oriented north from the golf links), Park Avenue,
Woodland Drive, and Arbor Way were selected to suggest the garden/nature
tone.

Early College Heights residents took advantage of the popularity of mail
order housing, including that from Sears Roebuck & Company, and
house patterns by selecting from a wide range of available housing
choices which they modified to suit their needs. Other College Heights
residents employed local architects, engineers, and contractors to
design their homes. Over several decades the result has been a pleasant
intermingling of housing types and styles.